Republican Cliff Bentz wins Oregon primary race to succeed Rep. Greg Walden

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Rep. Greg Walden: Why we shouldn’t vote by mail in 2020

Oregon Rep. Greg Walden has one stern message for Democrats that are calling for mail-in voting in 2020: ‘it is really dangerous for the electoral integrity and the outcome of the election.’

Cliff Bentz, a former Oregon GOP state senator, won a crowded congressional primary race Tuesday to succeed the retiring longtime Rep. Greg Walden.

The Associated Press called the GOP primary Tuesday night at 8:31 p.m. PDT declaring Bentz the winner in Oregon's 2nd congressional district.  The seat is considered solidly Republican, so Bentz would be the favorite to win in November.

"Being elected to represent the Republicans of CD2 in the 2020 race for congress is one of the most humbling experiences of my life," Bentz said on social media. "It’s an incredible honor to follow in Congressman Walden’s footsteps. Just as he has done, I will do my best to represent and uphold the values of CD 2 and Rural Oregon."

Four Democrats sought their party’s nomination for the state's largest congressional district, but that primary contest was too close to call Wednesday.

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Bentz beat former 2018 Republican Oregon gubernatorial candidate Knute Buehler and former state legislator Jason Atkinson.

Oregon has five congressional seats and Walden is the lone GOP representative. First elected in 1998, Walden announced in October he wouldn't seek reelection.

Walden congratulated Bentz on the victory and said he's confident Bentz will excel at the job.

Also in Oregon on Tuesday, former Vice President Joe Biden won the state's presidential primary, putting him one step closer to cementing the Democratic nomination.

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And in the other congressional races, Christopher Christensen won the Republican nomination for Oregon's 1st congressional district to face incumbent Democratic Rep. Suzanne Bonamici in November. Joanna Harbour won the GOP nomination in Oregon’s 3rd congressional district to face incumbent Rep. Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat, in the general election.

Alek Skarlatos, a Republican, advanced to the November general election against Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio in Oregon's 4th congressional district. And Amy Ryan Courser sealed the Republican nomination in the 5th congressional district to face off against incumbent Rep. Kurt Schrader.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.